The shots began while I was on stage with Swedish artist Lars Vilks, giving a speech, somewhat appropriately, on the illusion of freedom of speech. In fact I had just finished saying that "people will always say 'we are in favour of freedom of speech but...'" when I heard the shots.

Almost as if choreographed to make her point.

Of course the fear is there, but what is important is we must not let fear influence our activity and our struggle. We are in the middle of an ideological fight. It's either them or us, and I dream that it will be us, the liberals, the ones who don't rely on guns, the ones who show strength by drawing cartoons, writing on our breasts – those are our weapons. I really wish that all liberals would have the same level of bravery.

Don’t we all.

Her point is clear in this BBC interview when, about 1:50 in, the interviewer asks her what she was about to say when the shots stopped her (you won’t believe what she said next!) …

All that evil requires to triumph is that good men and women say nothing.

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